Ryan Reynolds Doesn't Think There Will Be a Deadpool 3

Although Deadpool broke dozens of box-office records in 2016, and its sequel appears poised to smash even more, star Ryan Reynolds said he doesn't think there will be a Deadpool 3.

Appearing at a promotional event in Seoul, South Korea, Reynolds was asked by about the progression of the Fox franchise -- from a love story to a "family film" -- what audiences should expect from the third Deadpool, and who he might choose for an Avengers-style team movie. It's a broad, two-part question, but the answer likely isn't what the fan expected.

"It's an odd thing to say, but I don't think there will be a Deadpool 3," said Reynolds, who's not only the star of the Deadpool films but also a producer. "I think going forward, it would be an X-Force movie, which would be his team, so to speak."

On one hand, that would be surprising, given that, after years of studio executives dragging their heels on Deadpool, the film became one of the surprise hits of 2016, earning more than $783 million worldwide and, alongside Logan, changing the way Fox views its X-Men franchise. A movie trilogy, with spinoffs like the announced X-Force, would be standard operating procedure for Hollywood; news of Deadpool 3 plans surfaced as early as December 2016.

However, on the other hand, if part of the purpose of Deadpool 2 is to lay the foundation for an X-Force franchise, featuring Reynolds' Wade Wilson, Josh Brolin's Cable and Zazie Beetz's Domino, among others, then why couldn't the story of the Merc With a Mouth simply continue there?

“I feel like the character, in order for him to function properly within his own universe, you need to take everything away from him," Reynolds added in a separate interview with Entertainment Weekly. "I don’t think that you can keep doing that. I do see him as being a part of X-Force, obviously. I would love to see him in a team-up sort of thing, like a mano a mano or a great female character from the X-Men universe. I just think if you’re going to do another Deadpool solo film, you’ve got to really, like, get that budget down to nothing and just swing for the fences, and break all kinds of weird barriers, and do stuff that no one else can do.”

During the Seoul event, Reynolds also addressed what separates X-Force from other teams of superheroes.

"X-Force is much different than, say, Avengers or something," he explained "X-Force is generally made up of people who are very morally flexible, they're the guys who do the work the X-Men wouldn't, or couldn't, do. So you're dealing with this sort of rag-tag group of men and women who, you know, don't have the strong moral compass that, say, the Avengers do, or X-Men."

"Beyond that, I know it's a pipe dream that will probably never come true, but I would love to see a Deadpool/Logan movie," he said. "I'd like to see a 'Wolviepool' movie, if I may. That would be fun. Hugh Jackman is apparently retiring, despite the fact that I'm protesting almost hourly."

Directed by David Leitch, Deadpool 2 features Ryan Reynolds as Deadpool, Brianna Hildebrand as Negasonic Teenage Warhead, Leslie Uggams as Blind Al, Stefan Kapičić as the voice of Colossus, and Karan Soni as Dopinder, with newcomers Zazie Beetz as Domino, Josh Brolin as Cable and Julian Dennison as Russell. The film opens May 18.